What is a criminal injury claim?

A criminal injury claim can be made if you have been harmed in a violent crime in the last two years. In order to make one of these types of claims, there is certain information that you must have; including your police reference number, the date of your court case, details of your attacker (if you know them) and details of whoever treated you for your injury if you received treatment.

How can you make a claim?

You are able to make a criminal injury claim yourself, either online or by phone. If your claim is turned down, you are able to appeal this decision.

Making one of these claims really does not take long and it gives you the opportunity to get what you deserve after suffering at the hands of others. While making one of these claims does not ensure that your attacker will be brought to justice, it does mean that you may receive some compensation for what you have had to go through. This is particularly useful if you were left unable to work due to your injuries and therefore have been surviving on a reduced income.

How much can you claim?

Compensation can range from £1,000 to £50,000 depending on the seriousness of your injury and how much it has affected your day to day life.

When can’t you claim?

With this sort of claim, you are unable to ask for compensation if you did not report your crime to the police when it happened. This is because it means that the person assessing your claim doesn’t actually have evidence that the attack happened; even if it did.

Not only this, but your claim may be reduced if, for example, you have a criminal record or your behaviour around the time of the attack could cause some room for doubt over the legitimacy of your claim.

If you think that you may be eligible to make a criminal injury claim there is really no harm in looking into it. Trained solicitors will be able to advise you on the situation and give you an independent evaluation of whether you have a strong case for complaint or not.

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